Boring week on guard duty
Ladies and gents,
This week's been awfully slow. I've been on guard all week, meaning I rove around from midnight til 0600 every night around the wire of our little place, then I'm on call every other day between 0600 and 1800, picking up chow for the other guards and doing menial jobs that need doing around the place. This results in me getting not nearly enough sleep except on my day not on call, because about every three hours of my day on call we get radioed to come in and do something stupid for an hour and a half. I can't wait til Sunday, when I can get back to the platoon and be done with this guard nonsense.
Dad, here's your details. I'm the turret gunner on a humvee, with an M240G. My job is basically to keep the Iraqi vehicles trailing behind our convoy on the interstates from getting at all close to us, which isn't hard because we've been here long enough for the locals to know to stay away and pull over when we're coming through. Now, I'm not necessarily always upgunner, since there are two other LCpls on the truck with me, but last week I was because they were on guard duty. The other day, for instance, I gunned on the way there and drove half the way back, and before that, on a really long convoy, I gunned the way there then just rode in the back on the way back to Fallujah. We're out of here but we chauffeur people around all over the place. As for Al Quaim, I haven't been there yet and thank God probably will not be going there ever, since that's an extremely long and arduous drive and another company took over that leg of the journey for us. However, I have their mailing address and I'm planning on writing Gibson and having him mail me the Ka-Bar. I want it back bad.
In terms of reading, I'm a big sci-fi and fantasy nerd, but when it comes to fantasy I'd prefer classier fantasies to the dime-a-dozen sword-and-sworcery fantasies that are out there. That is, I'd prefer something like Terry Brooks or Anne McCaffrey or Dan Simmons over some unknown fantasy that's really out there. I've also been meaning to read a lot of the big name classics, like Moby Dick, Robinson Crusoe, War and Peace, stuff like that. I'd like to give them a shot and see what they do for me. Other than that, I'd like to have some of the better Tom Clancy books (Sum of All Fears, Red Storm Rising, Patriot Games, etc.), and anything that sounds terribly interesting. I'm not much into your standard murder mysteries (sorry, Sarah!), but I'd be willing to give Michael Crichton a shot, namely that State of Fear book. But basically whatever you want to send me, chances are I'll read it. And my promotion board reading list: Blackhawk Down, Killer Angels, Attacks! (by Erwin Rommel), We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, etc.
The temperature here is absurd and getting hotter all the time. Fortunately, my room has got a kickass air conditioner that keeps it nicely chilly all the time. I'm really lucky in that respect. My room rocks.
I want movies, too. That list will have to come later, since I'm low on time. Essentially, I mostly just want my own movies back, but I can't remember where I left them or who I left them with. I'll figure it out later. Take care, folks.
This week's been awfully slow. I've been on guard all week, meaning I rove around from midnight til 0600 every night around the wire of our little place, then I'm on call every other day between 0600 and 1800, picking up chow for the other guards and doing menial jobs that need doing around the place. This results in me getting not nearly enough sleep except on my day not on call, because about every three hours of my day on call we get radioed to come in and do something stupid for an hour and a half. I can't wait til Sunday, when I can get back to the platoon and be done with this guard nonsense.
Dad, here's your details. I'm the turret gunner on a humvee, with an M240G. My job is basically to keep the Iraqi vehicles trailing behind our convoy on the interstates from getting at all close to us, which isn't hard because we've been here long enough for the locals to know to stay away and pull over when we're coming through. Now, I'm not necessarily always upgunner, since there are two other LCpls on the truck with me, but last week I was because they were on guard duty. The other day, for instance, I gunned on the way there and drove half the way back, and before that, on a really long convoy, I gunned the way there then just rode in the back on the way back to Fallujah. We're out of here but we chauffeur people around all over the place. As for Al Quaim, I haven't been there yet and thank God probably will not be going there ever, since that's an extremely long and arduous drive and another company took over that leg of the journey for us. However, I have their mailing address and I'm planning on writing Gibson and having him mail me the Ka-Bar. I want it back bad.
In terms of reading, I'm a big sci-fi and fantasy nerd, but when it comes to fantasy I'd prefer classier fantasies to the dime-a-dozen sword-and-sworcery fantasies that are out there. That is, I'd prefer something like Terry Brooks or Anne McCaffrey or Dan Simmons over some unknown fantasy that's really out there. I've also been meaning to read a lot of the big name classics, like Moby Dick, Robinson Crusoe, War and Peace, stuff like that. I'd like to give them a shot and see what they do for me. Other than that, I'd like to have some of the better Tom Clancy books (Sum of All Fears, Red Storm Rising, Patriot Games, etc.), and anything that sounds terribly interesting. I'm not much into your standard murder mysteries (sorry, Sarah!), but I'd be willing to give Michael Crichton a shot, namely that State of Fear book. But basically whatever you want to send me, chances are I'll read it. And my promotion board reading list: Blackhawk Down, Killer Angels, Attacks! (by Erwin Rommel), We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, etc.
The temperature here is absurd and getting hotter all the time. Fortunately, my room has got a kickass air conditioner that keeps it nicely chilly all the time. I'm really lucky in that respect. My room rocks.
I want movies, too. That list will have to come later, since I'm low on time. Essentially, I mostly just want my own movies back, but I can't remember where I left them or who I left them with. I'll figure it out later. Take care, folks.
posted by Roger W. at 6:42 AM
7 Comments:
Guard duty. That does sound boring. At least you have good air conditioning in your room! :) Thanks for the update. It is always nice to hear what you are up to. Take care of yourself!
Roger,
Your mother and I have been trying to locate books and DVD's. I found all the DVD's you requested except Shawshank, so I'll send you my copy. We were under the impression that the book list you gave Pat was for books you already owned. Maybe that's why neither she nor I could find any of them. We'll see what we can do. If you would like anything else in a care package, let us know. The battalion sergeant major says chocolates or other items that melt in the heat are out; do you need any personal hygiene items like baby wipes or other things? Let us know.
Keep posting and remember to focus on the front sight.
Roger,
You've already read Flags of Our Fathers, right? I've found Killer Angels, State of Fear, Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor and The Sum of All Fears, and a book by Mao Tse-Tung on guerilla warfare. I've got Flags of Our Father's, but I won't send it unless you post in the next day or so telling me to. I'll look around for the next couple of days before I send this stuff. What we can't find we'll get from Amazon or somewhere and trickle them to you.
Rog,
Isn't it great to love to read! I can imagine how boring it would be without good reading material;I'm sure Dad will get things to you ASAP. I am so glad that you have the air. Our temps have dropped from the highs of 90 last weekend and I thought that was bad! Keep cool and take care of yourself.The post are great!
I indeed have already read Flags of Our Fathers. I can't really think of much in terms of hygiene items, except perhaps replacement blades for the Mach 3 nitro or whatever, the green one, and on Mom's side perhaps some tea tree shampoo (I lost the last bottle somewhere moving from Al Asad to Fallujah).
Sarah,
Temps have been upwards of 100 degrees starting around 8 or 9 in the morning. For most of the day, it feels like when you're taking cookies out of the oven and you bend over to pull them out and get hit with that first wave of heat. It feels like that pretty much all day, just oppressively hot. It's actually pretty darn nice at night, though.
unfortunately i'm broke and can't send you anything at the moment, but i do have a couple of interesting tidbits. a friend of mine posted that a friend of his posted this on his blog: http://expolitae-nugae.livejournal.com/744.html. anyway, the point is i read it and found myself wishing you were around to discuss it. it sounds like you are awfully busy, but it's got some interesting points in it if you find yourself getting bored. also, i take it you haven't seen x-men 3. if you'd like i could try to download a copy, although the quality would be less than ideal. my question then, i suppose, is how do you watch dvd's; do you have your laptop on-hand? if you let me know i can try to get mcbride to stick it in with whatever he may be sending you. anyway, i hope you are doing well. take care,
sarah
Hey there!! I just wanted to say hi, I miss your random drunk dials! Everything here is just dandy, full of work and fun. I appreciate the frequent posts and i check them as often as I can. Usually at work. stay safe and all that!
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